Honoring a Contemplative Visionary: The Thomas Keating Symposium
On March 7, the Garrison Institute hosted a daylong symposium celebrating the life and legacy of Father Thomas Keating, whose teachings have shaped the modern contemplative landscape. A Trappist monk and founder of the Centering Prayer movement, Keating devoted his life to recovering the contemplative heart of the Christian tradition and making it accessible to spiritual seekers across traditions. Through silence, surrender, and the language of the heart, he opened pathways to divine intimacy that continue to inspire seekers around the world.
The symposium kicked off with opening words from Cynthia Bourgeault, modern day mystic, Episcopal priest, and internationally acclaimed author and retreat leader. The first panel, Oneness as a State of Consciousness, set the tone for a day of deep inquiry into the nature of unity, not only as a mystical experience but also as a transformative stance in the world. Moderated by Ted Jones, the nephew of Thomas Keating, the panel featured respected teachers Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi, Cyprian Consiglio, and Cynthia—three sages whose own wisdom and practices resonate deeply with Keating’s vision of inner unity.
Participants then engaged in immersion sessions that reflected the diversity of Keating’s influence. In What is Awakened Mind?, Venerable Priyadarshi reflected on the concept of kalyana mitra, or spiritual friendship, through the lens of his deep bond with Keating, exploring the nature of awakened mind as it emerges through deep dialogue and shared spiritual practice.
Meeting Common Challenges in Centering Prayer with David Frenette addressed the inner difficulties that can arise in long-term practice and offered insight into how these struggles are invitations into deeper unity. Meanwhile, Will Keepin, Netanel Miles-Yépez, and Adam Bucko explored The Spirit of the Snowmass Conference, the inter-spiritual dialogue Keating initiated in which spiritual leaders from across traditions gathered to share their practices and experiences of transformation.
Other morning immersion offerings included Stability and Surrender in Embodied Prayer with Allen Bourque—an experiential exploration of movement, rooted in Keating’s mystical teaching on “flowing oneness”—and the Centering Prayer Double Sit with Colleen Thomas, which enriched the day through meditative practice. Finally, filmmaker Peter Jones and his brother Ted Jones, nephews of Father Keating, hosted a screening and discussion of Father Keating’s short contemplative film, From the Mind to the Heart.
The afternoon resumed with the second panel, Oneness Among the World’s Religions, featuring Cyprian Consiglio, Matthew Wright, and Netanel Miles-Yépez. This conversation reflected on Keating’s lifelong commitment to interfaith understanding and the shared mystical core across traditions.
Immersion sessions continued with Acting Skillfully in a Polarized World, a dialogue between Will Keepin and Sabina Alkire on contemplative approaches to service and justice. Rewilding Human Spirituality with Mary Jane Yates introduced the practice of terra divina, inviting us into a sacred relationship with the Earth. In Making a New World, younger contemplatives Colleen Thomas and Keith Kristich explored how Keating’s vision lives on in a new generation.
The afternoon also featured another Centering Prayer Double Sit with Mary Anne Best, a continuation of Allen Bourque’s Embodied Prayer, and an open rehearsal of The Secret Embrace, where Peter Jones and Cynthia Bourgeault brought Keating’s final poetic reflections to life.
The concluding panel, Oneness in our One World, brought together Alkire, Bucko, and Tristan Johannes to explore how contemplative insight can meet global challenges—from inequality to ecological crisis—with clarity, compassion, and courage.
Closing remarks from Garrison co-founder Jonathan F.P. Rose and board member Dr. Dan Siegel offered reflections on Keating’s broader legacy in consciousness, community, and contemplative action.
As evening settled over the Hudson River, participants gathered once more for a special screening of A Rising Tide of Silence, the documentary by Peter Jones that traces the arc of Keating’s life and the quiet force of his contemplative witness.
Throughout the day, the symposium asked not only that we remember Thomas Keating, but also that we live into his legacy. His vision of divine intimacy, of silence as language and surrender as strength, continues to call for and inspire communities rooted in love and committed to transformation.
As the day came to a close, what remained was not an ending, but an opening: a spaciousness in which the contemplative path might be lived more deeply, and shared more freely, in the one world we all inhabit.
To experience the illuminating teachings, panel discussions, immersion sessions and practices, please enjoy watching the entire catalog of video recordings from this rare and special event.